Johannesburg Water has confirmed a full-day water shutdown in Fleurhof next week as part of a planned infrastructure tie-in. The outage will affect all streets in the suburb from 26 November at 9:00 until 27 November at 9:00.
Johannesburg Water says the interruption is necessary to connect the Fleurhof Tower supply, a move the entity believes will stabilise water provision in the area. Residents will have no water for the duration of the work.
The entity emphasised that the long-term aim is better reliability. It stated that the maintenance will “improve service delivery and continuity of water supply,” assuring residents that the inconvenience forms part of a broader plan to strengthen the network.
DA exposes R4 billion ‘paper cash’ problem
While Johannesburg Water prepares for the shutdown, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has revealed what it calls a severe financial crisis at the heart of the City.
In a recent parliamentary committee meeting with National Treasury and the Auditor-General, the DA presented PAIA records showing that Johannesburg Water does not have access to the R4 billion that appears in its financial statements as “cash including cash held at CoJ sweeping.”
According to the DA, the Auditor-General’s representative confirmed that based on the City’s own unaudited figures as of 30 June 2025, “the entire City of Johannesburg did not even have R4 billion in cash and cash equivalents.”
The DA argued that this proves the money showing on Johannesburg Water’s books is a “paper entry not real, accessible cash” needed to fund infrastructure, maintenance and contractors.
The party warns that Johannesburg Water is being “suffocated by a failing City” and that the sweeping arrangement, where Johannesburg Water’s revenue is absorbed into the City’s accounts, has crippled the entity’s ability to pay suppliers and complete projects, leaving residents without water while books reflect non-existent funds.
Call for urgent reforms to protect Johannesburg’s water system
The DA has proposed a phased shift away from the sweeping arrangement, including ring-fencing collected revenue, enforcing minimum cash protections and fast-tracking a water infrastructure turnaround. It argues that Johannesburg’s role as the country’s economic hub makes water stability non-negotiable.
The party insists that unless decisive action is taken, the City risks “a full-blown water and financial collapse” with national economic repercussions.
